3 Steps to Celebrate National Park Week in 2017

Each Spring the National Park Service holds National Park Week. In 2017, National Park Week is April 15-23rd! Last year the National Park Service honored the National Park Service Centennial: celebrating 100 years. This year, the celebration continues as they once again offer free admission to all parks the entire week. There is also free or reduced rate annual passes available for active duty military families, fourth grade students, senior citizens, volunteers, and people with permanent disabilities. Just think: you and your family can celebrate America’s natural beauty, rich cultural sites, and historic landmarks for free for an entire week!

Last year, during the National Park Service Centennial, The National Park Foundation did so many great things to preserve our National treasures! Check out this infographic the National Park Foundation published on how their grants and programs helped preserve!

Step 1: Find the National Park site near you!

The first step to enjoying National park Week is to find a park near you. With over 400 National Park sites in the National Park Service the odds are good you live close to one! There are a number of tools online that can help locate a park but my favorite is this one by the National park Foundation. It allows you to view by map, by name, and sort by category.

Of course, when you get there you should get your kids to do the Junior Ranger program. Junior Ranger Day is April 15th and many parks across the country are offering special events and opportunities for kids of all ages all day! NPS Junior Ranger Program is filled with activities that promotes exploration, education, and protecting our national beauty.

Step 3: Share your experiences using #FindYourPark

If you follow me or my wife on Instagram, you most likely have seen us using the #FindYourPark hashtag. Follow this hashtag and find amazing pictures from parks around the country! My kids and I like to explore those pictures to plan our next National Park adventures.